Pharmalittle: FDA to reduce use of dogs in tests; another setback for a Pfizer immunotherapy drug

Hello, everyone, and how are you today? We are doing just fine, thank you, especially now that things have quieted down on the Pharmalot campus. The short people have left for the local schoolhouse and gainful employment, respectively, and the official mascots are quietly dreaming of treats. As for us, we are firing up the trusty coffee kettle to brew a few cups of needed stimulation. Our preferences today are for peppermint mocha and butter pecan. Such a decision. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits to get you going. Hope today is a splendid and productive day. And, as always, do stay in touch. We appreciate your suggestions and tips …

A recent acquisition streak by Novartis (NVS) is pivoting the company toward new treatments that bear little resemblance to traditional drugs, The Wall Street Journal explains. The drug maker has spent nearly $15 billion in the past year to build its presence in cutting-edge areas of medical research, including gene therapy, or treatments that introduce new DNA into the body, and radiopharmaceuticals, which are drugs that carry radioactive particles to tumors for close-range radiotherapy.

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